High Expectations
by NarnianPrincess
Summary: When expectations are too high, the disappointments are the worst. Harry and the rest of the world learns this. WARNING: Anything can happen in tis fic! Read at your own risk!
1. Default Chapter

Amazing Happenings. Chapter One: A bit of hope?  
  
Harry looked around him without really seeing anything. He replayed the moment of Sirius' death constantly in his mind, hoping to find a way for him to be alive. People didn't just die by falling through veils, did they? They died when they were shot, or of a disease, or in an accident, or when someone sent an Avada Kedavra curse at them, not by falling through a veil. Where was the body if Sirius were dead? Surely it would have been recovered by now. "Tap, tap, tap." Hedwig's tapping on the closed window drew Harry out of his thoughts.  
  
He opened the window and cold wind as well as a brown, barn owl rushed in before Hedwig. The strange owl dropped the letter on his bed and was gone as quickly as it had flown in. Harry began opening the letter brought by Hedwig, for he was in no hurry to read the one brought by the other owl. He was sure it was from no one he knew. Ever since the article about Voldemort's return in the Daily Prophet, he had been receiving letters from people asking for more details. He couldn't understand why they all wouldn't leave him alone. He began reading the letter Hedwig brought. It was from Hermione.  
  
Harry,  
We really hope that you're okay. We were really worried about you, for you have not written to us in a while. I'm sure that you know where we are and why we cannot give you any information than you already have. Sorry about that but, well, hope to see you soon.  
  
Love,  
  
Hermione.  
  
Obviously they were at Grimmauld Place. They would be having fun with Fred, George and, of course, Ginny, trying to find out what the Order was doing. How could Hermione even think that he could be close to being okay? Didn't she care about Sirius at all? Why at the funeral she seemed distraught enough. Now how could she pretend that everything was perfectly normal, speaking about the things that the Order was doing? Well they were wrong if they thought that he actually cared to find out what was going on with the Order. He didn't really care about anything anymore.  
  
With Sirius dead what in the world did he have to look forward to anyway. And it was all his fault that Sirius was dead too. He didn't learn Occlumency and he had looked into Snape's Pensieve. He wondered what the stupid git was thinking. He was probably gloating now for it was no secret that he had detested Sirius. He believed that stupid house elf Kreacher. He should have had more sense than that. But just the thought of Sirius suffering there at the hands of the Death Eaters was unbearable. It was ironic wasn't it that his attempt to save Sirius was the cause of his death.  
  
He went to the window and considered jumping. What was he thinking? Even if he jumped, he wouldn't die. The house was not high enough, and even if it were, he probably would just be hurt. Well didn't Dumbledore say basically that he would either have to kill Voldemort or be killed by him? Well he made up his mind that he would have to destroy Voldemort before he died, for he certainly was not going to die at his hands. Not after all that Voldemort had to him and his family. After he destroyed the Dark Lord, maybe he would have made up for all the lives he had ruined. His parents, Sirius, why even Cedric had died because of him.  
  
He walked back to the bed feeling drained of all his energy, and when he dropped onto it, his hand touched the letter lying there. Well he may as well open it; after all it may contain something important. He opened the letter, not bothering to pick up the envelope, which had fallen to the floor.  
  
Dear Harry,  
Contrary to what you may have been told, Sirius Black is not dead. I can't write much more about this, but I would like to speak to you. If you are interested, come to the park near your current residence at 4:00pm on the 13th of July.  
  
Today was the 13th of July! Harry immediately looked at his watch. It was 3:45pm. He sprinted out of the house almost knocking Dudley's sandwich out of his hand, with only one thought echoing through his brain. Sirius is alive! Sirius is alive! Sirius is alive! Hermione's letter lay on the floor the last lines reading  
  
P.S. No matter what happens, do not leave the house unless someone you know comes to get you. 


	2. chapter two

Disclaimer: An idiot like me who forgets to put her disclaimer in her first chapter can in no way own something as brilliant as "Harry Potter." I own no character in this fic, and I'm sure that these ideas are in no way mine alone (I don't have that good an imagination). (Sorry if anyone falls into my 'idiot' category!)  
  
Chapter two  
  
Remus Lupin walked towards the house belonging to Harry's relatives. Dumbledore had told him that he must arrive at the Dursleys by some Muggle means of transportation so as not to invite any suspicion. He had apparated to Arabella Figg's place and had decided to walk from there. He couldn't help but think about recent occurrences. When the Maurauders were students at Hogwarts, they had no idea that they would be separated in such a way. James was dead because of Peter's betrayal and so was Sirius. The two remaining Maurauders would probably never speak to each other again, in fact Remus refused to even consider Pettigrew a Maurauder anymore.  
  
No, he, Remus was the only remaining Maurauder, and it was his duty to take care of James's son. Even if it meant that he had to meet the same fate as Sirius. He was suddenly brought out of his somber thoughts by angry shouts of, "Watch where you're going boy!" He looked in the direction of the noise to see a boy running straight towards him. In his haste the boy had bumped into several people without noticing it. Several people had also been splashed when the boy stepped into puddles. Remus looked at the boy as he got closer and recognized the messy hair, green eyes and noticed a piece of parchment clutched in his hand. As he got closer Harry slipped and would have fallen, had he not been standing there.  
  
Harry sprang back up and was about to run again, but Remus placed his hand firmly on his shoulder. " Harry, I was just on my way to meet you." The boy's face lit up. "So it was you who sent the letter!" He certainly did not expect this, but he quickly hid his surprise and took the letter from his hand. "Harry," he said, changing the topic, "I need to speak to you, but not here. Have you packed all of your things?"  
  
When Harry looked at him, Remus knew that he was still under the illusion that he had sent the letter. It was better not to say anything until he was sure about the contents of the letter. "I have some books and stuff that I need to pack" Remus nodded. They entered the Dursley's house and Uncle Vernon was informed that Harry would be leaving. "Couldn't he leave for good this time?" Remus was aware that the Dursleys did not exactly like Harry, but he was not prepared for the loathing he heard in the man's voice. "You will have to sort out those details with Professor Dumbledore" he replied coldly, disgusted by the thought of the hatred that Harry was forced to face throughout the years.  
  
While Harry was packing, Remus read the letter. He was certain that the Death Eaters were behind it. It was quite lucky that he arrived when he did, for he was sure that Harry was heading to the park when he bumped into him. "Will we be flying again, Professor?" He started at the sound of the voice, "No Harry, that's too dangerous. The Headmaster has gotten permission to use a Portkey." "Are Ron and Hermione going to be at Grimmauld Place, too?" he was asked. "Yes they are at Grimmauld place."  
  
* * * Harry was overjoyed. Professor Lupin was there to take him to Grimmauld Place, where Ron, Hermione, the rest of the Weasleys and the Order would be. The best part however was that Sirius was alive! He was a bit doubtful at first, but seeing Lupin confirmed that it was right. No member of the Order and certainly not Professor Lupin would lie to him. * But Dumbledore did lie to me, or at least he kept secrets from me * Well that was over now. It didn't matter. Sirius was alive! Maybe he'd be there at Grimmauld Place. It was his place after all.  
  
Professor Lupin told him to hold on to the portkey and Hedwig's cage, which was on top of his school trunk. "Okay Harry, are you ready?" "Yes, but where's the portkey?" To this Lupin smiled and brought out a striped sock. Harry hardly had time to marvel at the item chosen to be the portkey, when he felt the familiar, yet unpleasant jerk. When he landed and looked at his surroundings, he was shocked. This was not Grimmauld Place! He looked to Professor Lupin for an explanation, but even he looked a bit shocked. He turned around to see a familiar face, contorted with hatred.  
  
A/N: Sorry for ending yet another chapter so suddenly. Don't worry. I'll update soon. Err another thing, REVIEW! 


	3. An Unexpected Twist

A/N: Okay people. Don't hate me for this! I didn't know this was going to happen, it just did! This honestly was not in my original sketch. DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in the Harry Potter series. If I did I'd have been able to spell 'Marauder' by the last chapter.  
  
An Unexpected Twist  
  
Harry practically stared at the man standing in front of him strangely feeling not a miniscule of fear as those pit-like, emotionless eyes bore at him. "Harry Potter, how nice of you to drop in on us." The voice retained its usual coldness. Harry seriously doubted that that voice ever contained any humanlike quality. The ground under him was unnaturally cold and he felt frozen to the spot. "Lucius!" barked Voldemort. If the conditions had been any different, Harry would have reveled at the sight of a Malfoy on his knees, bending over to kiss the robes of another wizard. "Show our guest his accommodations, and help him to become comfortable."  
  
Where was Professor Lupin? Why wasn't he there? Was he a part of the scheme too? No! I trust him. What had Voldemort done with him? * He became aware of the ropes that had bound him from the moment he had hit the ground, as they tightened and pulled him up. "And Lucius, the werewolf lying in the corner, who thinks that a feeble wandless attempt at a Disillusionment charm can trick me, take him along as well." At these words, Lupin became visible and was immediately pulled up in the same way that Harry had been a mere moment ago.  
  
Lucius using a spell that rendered them both like puppets began to exit the room. He stopped when he was directly in front of Voldemort. "I'm so sorry for forgetting! I have a gift for you both!" This was said in a voice almost as mocking at the look on the man's or more correctly, the creature's snakelike face. "CRUCIO!" he bellowed and Harry tried not to wince as the force of the curse hit him. No, it was too early to show any kind of weakness in front of him, and who knew how long they would be there for.  
  
He glanced across at Professor Lupin. Although he hated himself for it, he was happy that he was not alone to face Voldemort. The cell they were thrown into was quite small and Harry was somehow grateful for this. If it were bigger the coldness and dread he felt would be much greater. Professor Lupin seemed to be taking the pain caused by the effect of the curse quite well, but then again he was used to painful transformations at every full moon.  
  
When Lucius finally left them (he stayed to put magical blocks on the door to ensure that his valued prisoners did not escape), Harry asked, "Err Professor," Lupin looked up, "what did Voldemort mean when he said that he had some surprises planned for us?" The familiar face looked more tired than he ever remembered. "Harry, the less we think about it the better it will be for us, I think. And Harry, don't worry. Dumbledore is bound to send a team for us!" "You don't understand! That's exactly what I'm afraid of! I don't want anyone else to die because of me! I'm sorry so much people had to die already! I'm sorry that you had to be here!" "Harry, I'm more at fault here than you. I brought the Portkey didn't I? We are going to have to go through a lot here and if you continue thinking like this, there is no way that you can survive the time you spend here." "I don't deserve to live! So many people have already died because of me!" "And much, much more WILL die if you give up now! Harry, you are the only hope for both Wizarding and Muggle worlds! Haven't you heard about the prediction." His voice dropped at the last word. "Okay! Okay, so I'll just have to kill him before I die then!" his voice dissolved into a sob and he turned away not wanting his former teacher to see the tears in his eyes.  
  
Meanwhile, in the room they first came into, Voldemort sat with his index finger pressed against the Dark Mark on the forearm of Peter Pettigrew.  
  
* * * "Minerva! What time did you set the Portkey for?" "Five minutes ago, Albus." The Headmaster looked uncharacteristically troubled. "In that case I'm afraid that Harry and Remus are in grave danger!" At that moment the door flew open and in came Severus Snape. "Headmaster, the mark! I must leave now. I will not be able to finish the potion." "Severus, I believe that Harry and Remus have been captured! The Portkey must have been diverted. I need you to take this with you."  
  
Okay, find out about Dumbledore's plan in the next chapter, which, hopefully shall be posted soon. 


	4. a plan and a party

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. She's the genius behind the magic. I claim to be neither her, nor another genius. Au contraire, you all are already aware of my idiocy! ________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter Four: A Plan and A Party.  
  
Severus Snape, having used the Floo network to arrive at his place, got his Death Eater robes ready. This was the most dangerous mission he had ever had in his entire life as a spy. He was supposed to rescue Potter and that werewolf. The Dark Lord would not let down his guard for one moment. Harry Potter was his biggest enemy and as Severus now knew, his most dangerous one. The boy was the only one who could destroy the Dark Lord. He held the other side of the sock that had been given to Remus Lupin and cast an Invisibility Charm on it.  
  
He Apparated into the presence of the Dark Lord as the other Death Eaters began coming in one by one. Soon the room was filled, but unlike other crowds, this one was completely silent. That was quite normal of these meetings. No one spoke unless they were addressed directly by the Dark Lord. He went up to kiss the robe of the person he most detested in the entire world. It was quite lucky that he, Severus Snape was so accomplished in Occlumency, because he would not be alive if Voldemort knew the thoughts running through his mind.  
  
The Dark Lord stood up and all attention was focused on him. "Now that you're all here we may begin the party." * So it is true, the boy and the werewolf are here. * The Dark Lord continued, "Lucius, you know what to do." Lucius disappeared for a moment and returned propelling the boy. The Death Eaters jeered at him, unable to contain their excitement. The Dark Lord now focused entirely on the proud creature standing in the middle of the room. "Oh so you have that same irritating defiance as the last time. Well, there is no one to save you now! That Muggle-Loving fool cannot find you here! Your spirit shall be broken boy! CRUCIO!"  
  
At that moment Severus was forced to admire the boy. When the curse hit him, he did not so much as wince. He stood there staring straight into the Dark Lord's eyes. "So Potter, would you care to tell me what that Prophecy said?" The boy answered him calmly, "No." One simple word, yet it caused the Dark Lord so much anger. "Boy, I have other ways of finding out. If you tell me it will be much easier for you!" At this point Severus was extremely afraid. He knew exactly what other ways the Dark Lord was speaking about. He also knew that when the Dark Lord tried to get into Harry's mind, there would not be much to stop him. "So you won't tell. Fine then. Legilimens!"  
  
Severus looked on intently and so did the others around him, but for other reasons. He saw concentration etched onto Voldemort's snakelike face. Was he imagining it, or was the boy actually resisting him? The intense silence that had prevailed was suddenly broken as the boy spoke. "What's the matter Tom? Are you too scared to have a fair fight? Was our last duel too much for you?" It was a challenge. The crowd knew it, and was apprehensive. They were all aware of what had happened the last time a battle ensued between the two.  
  
Minerva stood in Albus' office, her hands held tightly together, her face pale. "Albus, shouldn't they have been here by now?" The ever-present twinkle in Albus' eyes was present no longer and he answered, "The Magnetism Charm can only work if Harry and Remus are together, and the Portkey will only be activated when it's touching them both. I used a spell binding the sock and a shoe, which is currently on my foot so that the Portkey cannot be diverted."  
  
Minerva stood wringing her hands, her anxiety shown strongly on her face. "But Albus, What could it mean, them being apart? You don't suppose that one of them is ." "No Minerva," the Headmaster's voice was worried and weary. "If that were the case, the other would have been here by now. It means that they're trying to get information. Voldemort needs to know what the Prophecy said so as not to make another near fatal mistake. I only hope they can hold out. As soon as Voldemort gets that information ."  
  
Harry wanted to kick himself for challenging Voldemort. It had been the only thing that came to his mind at that point in time. He did not think that he would have been able to keep Voldemort out of his mind much longer. Now all that he could think about was Sirius' death, and Cedric, and his parents. All of that came back to one person. He remembered what he had seen in Dumbledore's Pensieve. The Crouch family being broken up, Neville's parents losing their memories, everything all came back to Voldemort.  
  
The ropes that bound him were removed and his wand was thrown to him. All that he could think about was his hatred for Voldemort, how much he wanted him to suffer and without even considering the consequences, he yelled, "CRUCIO!" There was silence around him as the Death Eaters watched their Master writhing on the floor. He knew that sooner or later, Voldemort would be able to handle the pain. He lifted his wand slightly, ending the curse and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Still in pain and in shock from the thought that the hero of the Light Side could perform an Unforgivable so effectively, Voldemort was too slow in trying to curse Harry. His wand lay in Harry's hands.  
  
Harry realized that this was his chance. "Petrificus Totalus Maximus!" he cried. Voldy and all the Death Eaters, previously advancing towards him, were stopped by the full body bind. Thinking quickly and knowing that he had for the most, a half hour before the effects of the curse wore off, Harry said, "Accio bag," and catching the bag that zoomed towards him, "Accio wands!" The wands of all the Death Eaters flew into the bag. He turned around and whispered to the wand "Point Me" hoping to find Lupin.  
  
Severus Snape lay on the floor. The boy never ceased to surprise him. He never would have dreamed that Harry would be able to perform a full Unforgivable and one strong enough to affect the Dark Lord. If he had been in this present situation he may have even applauded the boy's quick thinking. He himself could not have done better than to use an expanded body bind curse. The boy turned around and for a moment it seemed as though he was about to find his werewolf friend and leave, but he suddenly turned back to the Dark Lord and said, "I may as well finish it." Severus wondered what he meant by that shortly until he lifted his wand and said with pure hatred and venom, "You deserve to die like this you bastard! AVADA KEDAVRA!!"  
  
Tom Riddle lay on the floor and looked at the boy in front of him. The champion of the Light Side. He suddenly realized that the body bind had been lifted. His Death Eaters had not yet discovered this. He saw as though in slow motion a jet of green light coming towards him. He looked into the eyes of the boy who in a few milli-seconds would be his murderer. At that point he could guess quite accurately what the Prophecy had said, and knew that the boy had no choice. What was left of his human side silently apologized to the boy for the pain he had caused and then he was no more.  
  
Harry could not believe it. Had Lord Voldemort actually apologized to him? He was now certain that Voldemort was dead. If he had enough human in him to apologize, then he had enough to die. No, Voldemort had died a few seconds before the curse had hit him. It was Tom Riddle Harry had killed. He glanced across the room and spotted Professor Snape. He walked over to him and performed again the body bind on all of the Death Eaters. As Snape was a spy, the curse did not work on him. Harry helped him up, and they made a silent agreement not to speak about what had happened just yet. Professor Snape took his hand and led him to the room where Remus Lupin was being held and on the way whispered, "It's over now."  
  
"Harry you're alright!" Lupin smiled at him, "hello Severus." He looked relieved. Severus explained what they had to do for the Portkey to work and soon the three of them were back at Hogwarts, however, not before Harry could say, "Accio body." Professor Dumbledore stared at Harry. "What exactly happened there? Is that.?" Harry answered wearily, "There. I fulfilled the Prophecy!" Harry winced as the Headmaster approached him. He knew what was coming now. He would be forced to tell the entirely painful tale.  
  
While the other three looked at him apprehensively, Severus Snape stepped forward and said, "Harry has been through enough today. He needs rest now." "No, Severus." That was Dumbledore of course; "It would be better if he told it all now." Harry looked up and said, "Do you want to know what happened? Okay, I'll tell you. I just became a murderer. Okay! I fulfilled the stupid Prophecy. I've done what I was supposed to do! Now leave me alone. I want to sleep and pretend that it all never happened!" All this he said in a deadly calm voice and walked out of the room, leaving Lupin, McGonogall and Dumbledore staring. Snape turned and followed him. 


	5. reflections

DISCLAIMER: Okay this is getting a bit tiresome. I do NOT own Harry Potter. I think that should be extremely obvious by now! I am not, nor do I pretend to be JK Rowling, the real genius behind Harry Potter.  
  
A/N: Thanks a lot to my reviewers. Without you, this story would now be an abandoned one. A special thanks goes out to Samhaincat, my first reviewer and also my favourite author on ff.net. Sorry for taking sooo long to update. My story was deleted from my computer thanks to my little sister, and then I had the worst writer's block in history.  
  
Okay first to make some things clear: In this story, Tom Riddle and Voldemort are not one and the same. Tom Riddle is human and capable of feelings such as remorse etc. Voldemort is a 'monster' and incapable of such feelings. This story never was and never will be slash.  
  
And now for the chapter.  
  
Reflections  
  
After leaving Dumbledore's office, Harry continued running. If only he could leave all his problems behind. If only he could run away from it all. Only when he felt the cold wind against his face was he aware that he was a mere footstep away from the lake. Yet again he contemplated suicide, but he was certain that Dumbledore would stop him and then he would be constantly monitored. No it would be better to avoid a confrontation with any of them.  
  
He understood now for the first time what the prophecy had meant. He was supposed to destroy Voldemort and in the process ensure that Tom Riddle was re-born. Oh he succeeded alright, with one flaw, he killed Riddle in the process! He was no better than Voldemort had been. He was nothing but a murderer. No matter what he did, he could not forget those remorse-clouded eyes. If those eyes had remained as expressionless as they usually were, then it would have been easier for Harry to accept the fact that he had killed him.  
  
At that moment he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the lake. A bitter laugh escaped from behind the bars of his gritted teeth. * This is the reflection of Harry Potter, Light Side champion, Dumbledore's Golden Boy, and cold-blooded killer! He could no longer bear to look upon his image and so took up a handful of pebbles, throwing them vengefully into the water. Soon the small stone fragments became symbols of all of his burdens. Torrents of previously withheld emotions came pouring out as a rain of pebbles fell into the lake. Finally, drained of his energy, Harry sank onto the floor sobbing silently for the loss of his parents, his Godfather and the lives of many others, but most importantly for the loss of innocence.  
  
He became suddenly aware that he was being observed. Turning around he met unreadable dark eyes instead of the twinkling blue ones he had expected to see. Instead of the long white hair and beard, greasy shoulder length black hair framed the face, for in front of him stood the Potion's Master. Half relieved that it was not Dumbledore and half expecting to see a mocking smirk, Harry faced the man before him.  
  
Severus Snape could not believe that he was actually worried about Potter. He knew that his whole attitude towards the boy had changed since he had battled against the Dark Lord. Yet despite the fact that he had fulfilled the prophecy and that he had been the victor in one of the most crucial battles between good and evil, the boy did not seem to be the least bit relieved. In fact the only emotion the boy had shown were frustration and something that seemed to be close guilt if not guilt itself.  
  
Although he knew that Potter was a strange boy, this was very unlike him. Severus was beginning to see that he could have been wrong all along; that maybe the boy was not like his father. He was even more surprised when he saw a hint of relief in the boy's eyes upon his arrival. Even when Potter raised a trembling hand to his untidy hair, the familiar gesture did not seem vain. In fact it only proved how frustrated he was. The Potions Master could not help but feel guilty about his actions towards the boy. He knew now that the teary-eyed boy before him was nothing like his two chief tormentors.  
  
He went over to where the boy was sitting and sat down next to him. "Potter, forgive me if I am wrong, but I would have thought that with what you had accomplished today you would have been relieved for the least." He was nowhere near prepared for the response that he received. "What should I be relieved for? The fact that I became a murderer today?!" "Potter, do you always have to think about yourself? Can you never get over your belief that the world does not revolve around you? Even when you accomplish something so great for the world, must you be self-pitying? Would you have preferred if the Dark Lord had survived to take more innocent lives?"  
  
"I would have preferred not to have killed Tom Riddle!" "Come on Potter, the person you destroyed was no longer Tom Riddle, it was a monster, Voldemort." "No, Professor. It was not Voldemort I killed. Voldemort is incapable of feeling. Before the full curse hit him I saw a hint of remorse in his eyes. It was no monster that I killed, but a human who regretted his actions."  
  
This was more than the Potions-Master had expected and for a moment he almost could not believe what he heard. But the haunted look on Potter's face was enough to confirm it. "Potter..." he began after a long, uncomfortable pause, "if what you are saying is true, you gave Tom Riddle the greatest gift of all. You allowed him to become the closest thing to human he'd ever been for quite a long while before dying. You also gave him the gift of death. If he had not died, then you know what fate would have awaited him. He most likely realized that and was thankful to you for it."  
  
While the professor spoke, the boy became more at ease with himself. If he had not killed Riddle, he would have faced something much worse than death, the Dementor's Kiss. Just thinking about that made him feel, for once, relieved that he did in fact kill the man. He would have hated himself if he had had to hand over someone to those Dementors. He smiled at the formerly hated Potions Master. "Thank you sir," he said a little shakily before continuing, "and I am truly sorry to have caused you all this trouble."  
  
Snape... no Professor Snape replied, "Now Potter, one shock per day is quite enough, and I have had two. Don't make that three by acting civil now." For a moment Harry forgot all his troubles and allowed himself a laugh. "I think that I have had enough shocks today, Professor, but you had to increase it by actually making a joke!" Harry could not figure out why but he somehow felt quite comfortable speaking to the Potions Master.  
  
"As good as it was to confirm the fact that you think I am a monster, we really should get back to the castle before the Headmaster decides to send someone to look for you!" Harry was genuinely touched. Those words confirmed that the man found him out of his own free will, something that he had never before done... well except when Harry was in trouble! They walked back towards the castle together yet neither of them uttered a single word. They had no need to speak. Of course there was much to say, but that was not the time.  
  
Before they arrived in the Entrance Hall, Professor Snape stopped and turned to Harry. "Umm Potter, I was just thinking that maybe you may not want to stay by yourself tonight. If you like you may stay in my quarters tonight since ... you know...." Of course Harry knew what the Potions Master meant. He was thinking about the nightmares that they both knew Harry would have after his experience today. Mistaking Harry's silence for disapproval, the man quickly said, "I would understand if you choose not to, but at least allow me to give you a Dreamless Sleep Potion."  
  
Harry did not know how to respond to this. Finally being on civil terms with Snape did not necessarily mean that he wanted to stay with him. However considering the circumstances, Harry decided that he would. He was sure that Dumbledore would not leave him alone and he would much more prefer to spend the night in the dungeons, or wherever Snape stayed instead of having to answer any questions tonight. "Err Professor, if you don't mind, I think I would stay with you tonight." Despite his surprise, the man replied, "Harry, if I minded, I would never have suggested it!"  
  
Seeing the smile on the boy's face, Severus asked "What's so funny?" "Nothing's funny. It's just that you called me Harry for the first time." Severus sighed and commented wearily, "Today has been the first time for many things." He sighed again and started to say, "Look Harry, I just want to say that I'm ..." "No Professor." "Potter! Let me clear this up will you!" "I will! But not today! Besides, you have no need to say that you are sorry after the way that my father and Sirius treated you! I, on the other hand..." "No! You have absolutely no reason to apologize!" "But I..." "No Harry! And the topic is closed!" By this time, the two were nearly in the dungeons. Surprisingly enough, no one had stopped or confronted them. Harry began to wonder for the first time where exactly the Potions Master stayed. They reached the dungeons where Potions classes were held. The Professor walked up to a torch on the wall and tapped the fifth brick to the right of it. The bricks began to move apart strangely reminiscent of those in Diagon Alley.  
  
A narrow corridor led them to a statue of a unicorn (who would have thought!). Snape said the password "flying high" out loud, assuring Harry that he had earned his trust. The statue for a moment looked like a real unicorn and started fading. A doorway opened leading into a magnificently furnished room.  
  
Harry, not seeing the green goo on the floor, slipped on it and fell. His head hit the floor and blood began spreading across the floor. Severus fell to the ground, sobbing.  
  
(NarnianPrincess conjures shield to protect herself from the flying foodstuff heading her way!) Don't worry! I will NEVER! do that, unless I really, really run out of ideas!  
  
Harry looked around. This was definitely not what he had expected. There was not the slightest hint of silver and green. The walls were a warm shade of cream and the furniture was made of stained mahogany. Harry became suddenly aware of how weary he was. The Potion's Master did not miss this and immediately sent Harry to have a shower before they both had the dinner which had somehow been sent up to the rooms. Severus showed Harry into the bedroom giving him some Dreamless Sleep Potion. The boy fell asleep with a smile on his face. 


End file.
